quiet brilliance
by frozenmango
Summary: In which Akko and Diana go stargazing.


**AN: knock knock, lwa fandom, im here! here's my submission for dianakko/diakkoweek day 1: stars/astrology. please enjoy!**

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Akko noticed that whenever Diana couldn't sleep, she would always sit on the edge of the take-off bridge, her legs dangling.

It was during those times, Akko realized, that Diana looked different than she usually carried herself. Perhaps it was because of the faint moonlight draping over her, but Diana looked much softer, as if the light was enough to melt cold armor she usually wore. Her eyes shimmered like pools of water as she craned her neck up to look at the night sky. The silver halo of light that never failed to frame her in that angle made her look otherworldly, as if she were an angel plucked from the sky.

Seeing Diana like this never failed to make Akko smile to herself—the star child of Luna Nova always shined brightest when she was with her peers.

Akko didn't remember when she started joining Diana on the bridge. Maybe it was because she couldn't sleep one night, or maybe it was because she needed a break from studying, but Diana never pushed her away. Instead, she greeted Akko with a soft smile and made room for her before returning her gaze back up to the sky.

Surprisingly, they didn't say much at night. A few words of greeting and sprinkled conversation here and there, but aside from that, nothing else was said. Diana was too preoccupied looking up, and Akko didn't have the heart (nor the energy, but she didn't want to admit that) to disturb such a peaceful image.

But what they lacked in words, they made up in actions. They sat close together for warmth against the cold bite of the wind, sometimes leaning against one another just because they were _that_ close. Akko found that Diana was surprisingly physical: she always had an arm wrapped around Akko's shoulders, occasionally held her hand, and sometimes even tucked her head in the crook of Akko's neck. It was kind of funny, Akko thought as she crinkled her nose when Diana's stray hairs tickled her face, how affectionate Diana could get.

Who would've thought, right?

As the nights turned into weeks, and then into months, Akko found that perhaps, it wasn't as funny as she initially thought. Perhaps it was to be expected—Diana Cavendish always seemed worlds away. Epithets like "heir," "prodigy," even "princess" were used to describe her, words that elevated her to a status beyond the stars. But the more Akko thought about it, the more she wondered whether or not Diana was simply referred to as a "girl".

Akko sighed and looked up at the sky, resting part of her cheek on the top of Diana's head. It was a cloudless night tonight. The moon was overhead, its silver light cutting through the dark. Dots of blue, white, and yellow winked at them, vaguely forming shapes of bears and dippers, of belts and hunters, of crabs and goats. Akko had her arm were twined with Diana's, their fingers interlocked. Akko could feel the slow rhythm of Diana's breathing against her arm.

"Are you sleeping?" Akko asked, still looking up, as if the stars held the answer that she was looking for.

"No," Diana softly replied.

A breeze swept away their conversation. Silence was left in its wake.

A crushing urge to continue the conversation prodded at her, feeding into her innate impulsiveness. But Akko said nothing, even when the words tickled the tip of her tongue. She didn't want to ruin the delicate atmosphere with heavy words—she wanted to cherish this intimacy they shared because sometimes, nothing needed to be said to understand someone a little bit more.

Throughout their time together, Akko noticed that Diana had a hard time sitting still. They were subtle movements, but Akko caught them all: a slow sway of the legs, a faint tapping against the wood, a finger running over her knuckles. Sometimes Diana would adjust herself, shifting her weight so imperceptibly Akko felt a certain flush of pride rush through her just for noticing something so small.

It was learning the little things, Akko noticed, that made Diana seem so much more

"Beautiful," she breathed out. Akko's eyes grew wide and she slapped her hand over her mouth, to make sure none of her other thoughts leaked out of her.

Diana let out an amused breath, running her thumb over the knuckle of Akko's. "It is, isn't it?" she asked quietly.

A part of Akko wondered if Diana knew what she was referring to, but most of her kept quiet. Akko slowly allowed her hand to drop to the side as she tugged Diana closer to her. Diana complied, basking Akko with her heat and a scent that vaguely smelled of vanilla.

How long they stayed like that, Akko didn't know. Her neck had a dull ache as she looked up at the sky, watching the stars stare back at them with gleaming eyes. They really were beautiful, Akko thought, each burning with a vividly different color that somehow all threaded together to create narratives in the dark tapestry of night. Akko was sure that Diana knew many of their stories: stories of people, of faraway lands, of the witches that looked to them for for guidance. Akko wondered to herself what stories each star had to tell her.

Akko nuzzled her nose into Diana's hair and took a breath, taking in the scent of vanilla laced with pine. She wondered what kind of stories Diana would tell her if she ever decided to ask.

But until then, Akko was satisfied with knowing that stars were blindingly beautiful—whether they be in the sky, or sitting right next to her.

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 **mm, i interpreted the prompt differently than what was originally intended, but i hope it worked out in the end. it's been a while since i had the drive to write smth, and hoooo booooy was it a struggle. i wanted to practice my descriptions a bit more because that's been an area i've been lacking in, so please let me know if you have any critiques!**

 **thanks for reading.**


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